A surprisingly large number of English poets have either belonged to a secret society, or been strongly influenced by its tenets. One of the best known examples is Christopher Smart's membership of the Freemasons, and the resulting influence of Masonic doctrines on A Song to David. However, many other poets have belonged to, or been influenced by not only the Freemasons, but the Rosicrucians, Gormogons and Hell-Fire Clubs. First published in 1986, this study concentrates on five major examples: Smart, Burns, William Blake, William Butler Yeats and Rudyard Kipling, as well as a number of other poets. Marie Roberts questions why so many poets have been powerfully attracted to the secret societies, and considers the effectiveness of poetry as a medium for conveying secret emblems and ritual. She shows how some poets believed that poetry would prove a hidden symbolic language in which to reveal great truths. The beliefs of these poets are as diverse as their practice, and this book sheds fascinating light on several major writers.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Ltd
ISBN-13
9781138796218
eBay Product ID (ePID)
220904561
Product Key Features
Subject Area
Social Organisations
Author
Marie Mulvey-Roberts
Publication Name
British Poets and Secret Societies
Format
Paperback
Language
English
Publication Year
2015
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
182 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
216mm
Item Width
138mm
Item Weight
272g
Additional Product Features
Title_Author
Marie Mulvey-Roberts
Topic
Alternative Belief Systems, Literature
Country/Region of Manufacture
United Kingdom
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